Academic Regulations & Procedures

Senior Integrative Exercise (Comps)

The College requires that each major include a capstone experience. It is the prerogative of individual departments and programs that offer majors to determine how many credits to award in connection with its senior capstone experience, within the following parameters:

All departments and programs offering a major shall have at least one capstone course numbered 400, which is graded Satisfactory (S), No Credit (NC) and cannot be dropped. When this course is passed with distinction, a note to that effect is posted to the transcript. (All other work required for a major must earn a grade of C- or better.)

The senior integrative exercise as a whole (400 plus any additional required work related to the senior capstone experience) shall be no fewer than three credits and no more than 15 credits. These courses cannot be dropped after the drop/add deadline and can only be dropped if the student no longer plans to pursue that major (in the case of a double major).

The senior integrative exercise must require no more than three credits of work during the final term of the senior year.

The senior integrative exercise must require no more than 12 credits of work within a single term.

The maximum of 15 credits is exclusive of other work (e.g., independent study or off-campus study) that may be related to, but not required for, a student's senior capstone project.

Students are expected to register for work related to the senior integrative exercise in the terms in which that work is undertaken.

All work required for the senior integrative exercise should normally be completed before May 15 of the senior year.

If the senior integrative exercise extends over more than one term, normally students shall receive a grade at the conclusion of each term for work completed to that point or, in the absence of a formal grade, students shall receive feedback on their work to that point.